AUSTELL, Ga. — A blast of arctic air is moving into the metro Atlanta area and it’s going to be very hard for residents in need of a warm coat.
That’s where Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz aims to help.
Brad’s Coat Drive is in its final three days for 2026’s coat drive and thousands of coats will be delivered to local charities starting next week.
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Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen was at one of the donation centers in Cobb County, where the nonprofit Sweetwater Mission in Austell says they ran out of coats weeks ago.
The nonprofit’s staff says they are desperate for more coats from Brad’s Coat Drive. In the meantime, those in need have been getting blankets from them.
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Volunteer Pablo Parra told Channel 2 Action News that for those who are struggling, winter makes things worse.
“On top of having no food and no shelter, it’s really hard,” Parra said. “I’ve been there some times myself.”
Sweetwater Mission is still working to help those in need.
“The cold weather is crazy and it’s getting worse,” Debbie Ginocchio, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Fundraising, told Petersen. “We’ll definitely make sure we get coats out if we have them on hand but right now we don’t have any.”
Brad’s Coat Drive is an annual effort by Channel 2 Action News to collect as many warm coats as possible. Last year, loyal viewers donated nearly 12,000 coats, which were then distributed to metro area charities, like Sweetwater Mission.
The organization’s warehouse is well-stocked with groceries and the staff say they help about 1,700 clients every week, but wish they had some coats to give them.
“We even have blankets we’re giving people right now,” Ginocchio said. “They need it. Everybody needs it.”
Parra said he also knows that need and is grateful for both Brad’s Coat Drive and Sweetwater Mission.
“They’ve helped me so much, I volunteer here What they do is amazing, and I want to be part of it,” Parra said.
Brad’s Coat Drive ends on Friday. Sweetwater Mission will get a delivery from the coat drive next week.
If you have coats you want to donate, there are multiple locations you can go to, including WSBTV Studios in Midtown Atlanta.
To learn more about how and where to donate, head online here.
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